1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a combination drinking cup and lid for infants which minimizes the amount of liquid spilled in the event the cup is tipped on its side.
2. Prior Art
Making the transition from a nursing bottle to a drinking glass for an infant is not an easy one. Even with a lid on a cup, the contents may be spilled through a spout. When the cup and lid are overturned, the contents will empty through the spout. Preventing spillage while providing a drinking cup that is easy to use for a child is a problem.
Several approaches have been taken to address this problem.
Paz (U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,938) discloses a drinking cup in which the contents will not spill out when the vessel is dropped. A manually depressible plunger seals off the inner ends of the spout and air vent, thereby preventing spillage.
Another approach is to insert a weighted material into the base of the cup. Panicci (U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,170) discloses a self-righting cup which will operate even when the cup is filled. A weighted material is placed in the base of the cup. Panicci (U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,996) features a weighted, self-righting cup with a ratio of the outer diameter of the cup at the point of intersection of the upper and bottom portion to the effective height of the cup portion being at least three. The use of a weighted base portion, however, requires a fairly heavy cup which is somewhat difficult for a child to handle.
Another approach identifies the use of radial rotation of the cup itself. Mullins et al (U.S. Pat. #4,083,467) segments the cup itself so that only one longitudinal section is filled with liquid while the other section is empty. If the cup is on its side, the weight of the liquid filled portion will cause radial rotation of the cup away from the spout. This requires a relatively complicated chamber arrangement and cuts down on the amount of liquid held in the cup.
A further problem encountered is when the lid is removed from the cup for cleaning. When in a dishwasher, the lid can be pushed away from the racks where it may be inconvenient to retrieve or where it may be damaged by the hot coil. After washing, it is convenient to store the lid with the cup but not in the closed position. When a number are stored together, it is inconvenient to match the proper lid with the proper cup.
Accordingly, it is a principal object and purpose of the present invention to provide a combination drinking cup and lid which will rotate about a longitudinal axis when tipped off its base in order to rotate the spout to minimize spilling.